The present invention is directed to a temporary road bed for placing on the ground. More particularly, the invention is directed to a flexible mat structure for use in constructing a temporary road bed.
Work sites, such as construction sites and oil drilling sites, often occur in areas where there is no prepared road bed. Heavy equipment used at the work site require a suitable road bed that is stable to prevent the equipment from becoming stuck in the soft ground.
A common practice for many years has been to construct a temporary road bed from wood planks that are laid on the ground and nailed together. Typically, a second and third layer of wood planks are laid on top of the base layer in alternating directions and secured together by nails. The number of layers of wood planks can vary depending on the stability of the ground and the weight of the equipment that will travel over the road.
Construction of a temporary road bed using individual boards is costly and labor intensive. The heavy equipment that travels over the road bed often damages a large number of the boards so that the boards cannot be reused. Disassembly of the road bed is also labor intensive and damages many of the boards not previously damaged during use. As a result, a significant portion of the boards used to construct the road bed are discarded.
Various methods have been proposed to form a temporary road bed using preassembled mats constructed from wood boards. These mats typically include a structure for interlocking with an adjacent mat. These preconstructed mats are generally intended to be reusable by disassembling the road bed and transporting the mats to a new location.
Numerous examples of preconstructed mats for use in constructing a temporary road bed or flooring system are known. One example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,944 to Penland. The mat disclosed therein includes interlocking ends and sides for connecting a plurality of mats together. Each mat is formed from two layers of boards that are attached together. The first layer includes a plurality of boards having different lengths to form interlocking tabs at one end. The second layer is formed from boards extending perpendicular to the boards of the first layer and staggers the boards to form locking tabs at one end and locking slots at the opposite end.
Examples of other mats for use in constructing a temporary road bed are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,420 to Davis et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,337 to Sarver, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,444 to Pouyer. These devices are similar in that they are constructed of boards assembled in various layers and formed with an interlocking connection for connecting with a similar mat.
The prior methods of constructing a temporary road bed are generally expensive and time consuming. Although the preconstructed mats can reduce the time for constructing a temporary road, the cost of manufacturing the mats and the difficulty of moving and assembling the mats have limited their use.
In view of the deficiencies of the prior methods and devices, a continuing need exists in the industry for an improved method and device for constructing a temporary road bed.
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for constructing a temporary road bed. More particularly, the invention is directed to a mat structure for constructing a temporary road bed.
Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to provide a economical method and device for constructing a road bed.
Another object of the invention is to provide a device for constructing a road bed that is comparatively lightweight and durable.
A further object of the invention is to provide a device for constructing a road bed that is sufficiently flexible to conform to the contour of the ground.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a device for constructing a road bed that can be used individually or in combination with a similar mat.
Another object of the invention is to provide a mat for constructing a road bed that can interlock with an adjacent mat of similar structure.
A further object of the invention is to provide a mat for a road bed that is sufficiently flexible to be folded over upon itself to form a two-layered support.
A further object of the invention is to provide a mat for constructing a road bed that is sufficiently flexible to be rolled on a spool during storage and transported where the mat can be unrolled at a work site.
A further object of the invention is provide a mat for constructing a road bed formed from a plurality of planks coupled together by a flexible connecting member.
Another object of the invention is to provide a mat for constructing a road bed where the mat is formed from a plurality of planks where the planks can interlock with an adjacent mat.
Another object of the invention is to provide a mat for constructing a road bed where the mat is formed from a plurality of planks where the mats can be stacked in at least two layers with the planks interlocking with a superimposed mat.
The objects of the invention are basically attained by providing a mat for forming a temporary road bed. The mat comprises a plurality of support members arranged in a parallel, side-by-side relationship. Each of the support members has a length and a width wherein the length is greater than the width. The support members further have at least two holes extending transversely through the support members. A plurality of spacers are positioned between each of the adjacent support members for spacing the support members apart a substantially uniform distance. Each spacer has a length less than a length of the support members, a width, and a hole extending transversely therethrough. A flexible connecting member extends through the holes in the support members and the spacers for coupling the support members and spacers together.
The objects of the invention are further attained by providing a temporary road bed comprising a plurality of mats. Each of the mats comprises a plurality of planks arranged in a spaced-apart parallel relationship. The planks have at least two spaced apart holes extending transversely through the planks. A plurality of spacers is between the planks for spacing the planks apart a substantially uniform distance. The spacer has a hole extending transversely therethrough. A flexible connecting member extends through the holes in the planks and the spacers for connecting the planks and spacers together. The connecting member is sufficiently flexible whereby the mat can be rolled onto a spool and can conform to the contour of the ground.
The objects of the invention are also attained by providing a method of producing a road bed comprising the step of providing a plurality of flexible mats, each mat constructed of a plurality of support members arranged in a parallel, side-by-side relationship. Each of the support members has a length and a width wherein the length is greater than the width. The support members further have at least two holes extending transversely through the support members. A plurality of spacers is positioned between each of the adjacent support members for spacing the support members apart a substantially uniform distance. Each of the spacers have a length less than a length of the support members, and a hole extending transversely therethrough. A flexible connecting member extends through the holes in the support members and the spacers for coupling the support members and spacers together. The mats are placed on the ground to be contiguous with an adjacent mat to form the road bed.
The objects, advantages and salient features of the invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art in view of the annexed drawings and the detailed description of the invention which form a part of this original disclosure.
Referring to the drawings which form a part of this disclosure in which:
FIG. 1 is a top view of the mat in a first embodiment of the invention showing the spaced-apart planks;
FIG. 2 is an end view of the mat of FIG. 1 shown in a stacked relation with an identical mat;
FIG. 3 is an end view showing the mat of FIG. 1 rolled on a spool;
FIG. 4 is a top view of a mat in a second embodiment of the invention showing the coupling ends of the planks for coupling the mats together;
FIG. 5 is a partial side view of the coupling ends and connecting member of the mat of the embodiment of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a partial top view of a mat in a third embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 7 is an end view of the mat of the embodiment of FIG. 6;
FIG. 7A is a top view of two mats of FIG. 6 coupled together end-to-end;
FIG. 7B is an end view of two mats of FIG. 6 coupled together in a stacked fashion;
FIG. 8 is a top view of a mat in a fourth embodiment of the invention showing the interlocking recesses in the top face of the planks;
FIG. 9 is an end view of the mat of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is an end view of a road bed constructed from superimposed layers of the mat of the embodiment of FIG. 8;
FIG. 11 is a top view of the road bed of FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is a side view of a mat formed from planks having interlocking recesses on top and bottom faces;
FIG. 13 is a side view of a road bed in a further embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 14 is an end view of the road bed of the embodiment of FIG. 13;
FIG. 15 is a top view of a mat in a further embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the mat of FIG. 15;
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the mat in cross-section of FIG. 15 showing the interlocking notches for coupling with an adjacent mat;
FIG. 18 is a top view of the road bed assembled from the mats of FIG. 15;
FIG. 19 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the interlocking notches of the mat of the embodiment of FIG. 15.